One key difference between Israel and Taiwan. Israel spends their own money, and lots of it, on their own defense. Sure, we give them aid, but they spend mostly their own funds. We have had a package of modern weapons (anti-sub planes, destroyers, Patriot missiles, etc.) on the table to sell to Taiwan since right after Bush took office, several years ago, and they still claim it is too expensive for them. If they refuse to spend their own money to defend themselves, why should we spend our blood and our money?
You are correct.
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Taiwan spends a small fortune lobbying Washington so the U.S. will ride to its rescue in case of a Chinese attack. Yet more than four years after the U.S. offered a package of advanced defense weapons, politicians in Taipei still haven't decided to buy them. This isn't helping Taiwan's cause in Washington.
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But legislators in Taiwan have blocked any purchase plan proposed by President Chen Shui-bian. Some opposition politicians have even accused the U.S. of using the arms sales as a pretext to pursue a hidden agenda of demonizing China. Lien Chan, until last week chairman of the main opposition party, has argued the country can't afford the $15 billion price tag. But this doesn't wash for an island with per-capita income of $13,000 a year.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112484954980021501,00-search.html?KEYWORDS=taiwan&COLLECTION=wsjie/archive